Change is good. Or at least that's what I keep trying to convince myself.

In and hour and eleven minutes, I'll be seventeen years old. Actually, there's a good chance I'll be seventeen by the time I finish this post. So why is this so pivotal for me? After all, it's just seventeen. There's nothing special about this birthday, right? WRONG! It's the first full day of me being a senior. It's the first day of summer vacation. Happy day, right? Well...maybe. There's a whole lot of conflicting emotions and thoughts and feelings inside of me right now. I'm not real sure of anything right now. My thoughts are so jumbled. I have no clue how this post is going to go. There's so much I want to say, to talk about. I just don't know exactly what everything is. Confused? Don't worry. Me too. So, this could be really short. Or really long. Probably long.

So. I guess I'll start with this: Why is there all this jumbleness inside of me? Well, this past year has just been amazing. Yes, it was my junior year. Therefore, there's been crazy amounts of stress. I've gone through some huge trials. But I've also grown so much. I've met some great people, became reacquainted with old friends, and strengthened friendships. My testimony has grown so much. My relationship with my Savior has changed and become more personal. I have begun to make certain changes within me - A slow, and often times very difficult process. I don't really want to say goodbye to it. For the first time ever, I think I want to replay a year of school. Since the moment I hit junior high, I was so excited for graduation. I had senioritis as a wee sophomore. But now, I'm dreading every change. Heck, I'm dreading not going to school tomorrow. There'll be no choir, no seminary. The two highlights of my day! Especially seminary! I don't know what I'll do without that class. Bro. Tilley was amazing, and there were the most fabulous people in there. I always have a hard time keeping on track during the summer. I don't read my scriptures as often. I get super lazy. I don't keep commitments I make for myself. I just don't seem to have motivation for anything. I kind of just want everything to stay the same. To have the same people in my life. To just continue growing in the way that I have. Except there's this little thing called change. I've been telling myself for the past week that change is good. I know it is. I know I'm supposed to welcome it. But I feel like fighting it every step of the way. But, without change, greater growth, and greater progress cannot be made. I'm still trying to accept that. I probably won't until the first day of school as a senior.

I kind of want to leave something with my ex-senior friends. My newly graduated buddies. If they want it. I actually don't know how many of them read this...but, meh. So what I want to say is...stay true to who you are. And you are children of God. Probably the most precious knowledge I possess is this: We are all children of God. Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father - and Mother! - love us very much. Cling to that knowledge. It can get you through anything. Keep a hold of your faith. Stay a rock. Stay a light. Be a beacon to a world full of darkness. Be yourself. If you're going to change, make sure it's for the better. Make sure it's by taking away your weaknesses and your faults. Good luck in life. Make an impact on the world.

Don't worry fellow high schoolers. I have something for you also. And something else for the graduates. Today my friend Tessa played a song for me. I don't know what this song is, but the chorus stuck out to me. I liked it a lot. It says "We are young. We are strong. We're not looking for where we belong. We're not cool. We are free." Remember the whole rising generation thing? (I still haven't gotten over it. It's like one of my favorite things ever to talk about and learn about.) This is who we are. We are young. All of us are teenagers. We are strong. Despite our young age, many of us have great conviction and great faith. We become strong through this. We have the ability to change the world. We're not looking for where we belong. We aren't looking. We already know. Our place is beside God, fighting on His side in this war against Satan. We need to look no further, because we have our place among the saints of the Church. We are united with them. We have our place. We're not cool. Ok, some of us are pretty dang cool. But, I'm sorry to say, not all of us are. I wouldn't consider myself one of the "cool kids." But we don't have to be in order to make a difference. We are secure in who we are. We don't need to be cool. I am willing to take whatever nerdy or geeky title you place upon me. Because, yes. I'm a Choir nerd. Yes, I got straight A's. (I'm not trying to brag, I promise. They just make me very, very happy.) That probably makes me a little geeky. but whatever. Because I know who I am. And last, we are free. We have this thing called agency. We have the ability to choose the choices we make. Yes, we have commandments. But the commandments are like the string of our kite of life. If that string is cut, we won't fly higher. We'll crash and burn. But with those commandments, we'll be able to fly higher and higher. It's disobeying the commandments and following Satan that brings us down into captivity. So, as the rising generation, we should take these things to heart. In doing this, we will change the world. We'll make it a happy place, a good place to be.

Next, I'm going to bring it to the graduation. The choir got to perform "Battle Hymn of the Republic" with the band and orchestra. Let me tell you. Life. Changing. It was so incredibly amazing. It made me cry. Which I guess isn't surprising. But we can pretend it is. But there's two reasons I was crying. One: It was the very last song Mrs. Jones will ever conduct for me, or anyone in Mesa High choir. That has to do with the change thing. I don't really want to let Mrs. Jones go, even though I need to. After all, I know her choice to leave was inspired by Heavenly Father. She's leaving to go help young girls. To help change lives. I guess I'm being selfish in my desire to have her stay. Change needs to happen. Two: I felt the spirit so strong. I would not doubt that we were not alone in performing that song. I wouldn't be surprised if there were angels playing with the band and orchestra and singing with the choir. The spirit testified to me so strongly during that song. "His truth is marching on. Glory, glory hallelujah! Glory, glory hallelujah! Glory, glory hallelujah! His truth is marching on. Amen!" Guess what, guys! The Gospel? It's marching on. No matter where you go, the Church is true. And that truth will be proclaimed through out the whole world. And how joyous that is! I definitely would be singing hallelujah! So, just remember that the Gospel is true. It will always be. Where ever you go. And that truth, His truth, is marching on.

Last, but not least, I love you guys. Each of you will accomplish something great within the next year, whether you're going to college or another year of high school. Or you're a stay at home mom, or what ever you guys do that read this! I know I've said this before. But I see such greatness in all the youth around me. There's no one else that I would rather trust to be born to this world to live in these troubled times, then the people I'm around every day. You guys are wonderful. I'm glad to know you. I'm glad to be able to fight Satan with you by my side. As me and Lanelle like to tell each other, "Fight it! Beat it! Kick it in the face!" Take down every obstacle in your way. Let it strengthen you. Be strong and of good courage! Because God's on our side. We can't lose!